Fruit washer



Patented 1.... 131929.-

' morn 1:. sense, or sums Ionics, 041 m 'rnun-wp, Application maneuv rat, 1w. semi no. seam.

The present, invention relates to devices.

and machines "for washing or cleaning fruit such for instance as themachines employed for cleaning oranges and thelikei and the in;

vention pertains more particular y to the rotagbrushes employed in suchmachines. "apparatus of the class to which this invention pertains apair of parallel rotary.

brushes are provided. These brushes are placed in close proximity andare caused to rotate each in the same dlrection as the other.

The brushes provide a fruit conveying trough between them and are eachprovided with a helical groove. Parts of one brush in termediate thehelixes of its groove are caused to extend into the other helical grooveso that all portions of the brush are in close proximity to thecorrespondingportions of the other brush. Rotary movement of thebrushes,

each in the same direction of rotation asthe other, results in the fruitbeing advanced or conveyed while subject to brushing action.

It is a disadvantage'of such machines, however that the fruit tends to,roll throu h the brushes on a given axis. Usually suc axis is alongthe-minor diameter and it often happens that certain parts of thefruit,particuarly the stem end and blossom end are not properly actedupon by the brushes. To cause fruit to change its axis of rotationconstantly as it advances, various means have been proposed, such meansincludingthe use of polygonal rather than round brushes. Such brushesare based on the theory that the constantly changing diameter of thebrushes will up-end the fruit and cause same to roll around onconstantlychanging axes. Such brushes, however, have a rather severe agij tatingaction which constantly hurls the fruit from'the brush; the fruitthereby often being in the air a great portion of the time rather thanin contactwith the brushes.

My invention has for its principal ob'ect the provision of a set ofbrushes adapte to constantly change the rolling axis of the fruitwithout actually tossing Incidentally it is another object of theinvention to provide for keeping the fruit, by means of its weight, incontact with the brush as constantly as possible.

Another object of the invention is to carry out the foregoing objectswhile usinga round or cylindrical brush with its attendant well knownadvantages.

Still another object of the invention is to '77. Each sha it from thebrush.

side.

provide. for brushing or cleaning of.

the fruite ually.

Other ob ects and advantages of m invention will appear he'reinafterandinc ude. the proper continued conveying of the fruit through themachine.

I have illustrated by the accompanying drawings one practical embodimentof my invention.

In the said drawings Figure -1 is a plan view of a fragment of a brushconstructed n conformitywith the salient feature of my Invention; 1tbeing understood that these brushes are of great length as compared withtheir diameter. I

Figure 2 is a plan'view of amachine' em-' bodymg one or 'more pairs ofthe brushes shownmFi re1;"

Figure 3 1s a fra entary surface project1on of abrush; n I

Figure 4 is a view in section seen on a line 4.-4of Fig.2.

ln the-machine shown there is provided a sultable frame comprisin endmembers- 5 and 6 supportln revolva 'le (parallel shafts is provide witha. bevel gear 8, 8 each driven by a corres ending one of another pair ofgears 9, 9. ears 9, 9 are earned by a drlve shaft 10 fitted with apulley 11. When the ulley is rotated it is 'obv1ous that both brusshafts, by means of the gears indlcated, will be caused to rotate eachin the same direction. The parts just mentloned, or their'mechanicalequivalents are common to man well known machines and in the drawinghave shown only such parts of the machine as to enable those skilled inthe art to apply myimproved brushes thereto. Other parts of suchmachines as means for feeding the fruit to the brushes, means forreceiving the fruit after being treated by the brushes, and other meansand devices common to such machines are not illustrated and need nodescription herein. y

In the machine illustrated each shaft is provided with an elongatedbrush-1 such as that shown in Fig. 1 and it is in these brushes that thesalient features of my invention The brushes shown are referablyperfect- 1y circular in outline and it is not essential that the brushesbe other than circular. Of course the core 12 of each brush is ofpolygonal cross section merel because this is common practice andprovides for assembling thebrushesinparts elongated I brush.progressively from one end to the other. The path of this oove I term animperfect helix inasmu as it does not follow the path of a true helix.To more fully illustrate the path of this groove have shown in Figure 3'a surface projection of the brush. A true helix when developed on a flatsurface follows a ath which crosses a plane surface on an 0 li asstraight line; such path being indicated y the broken line 17 in Figure3. A line (not shown) which crosses e projected surface of a cylinder attrue right angle to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder would merelybe a circumferential line.

In conformity with a salient feature of my invention the'groove 16 inthe brushes 1, 1,

follows a path which is an imperfect helix,

. but only portions 16 'of this groove follow tions 16' but it isessential that the the true helical path; the other 16 portions being (1so as to follow a practically circumferential path. Thus, viewing theprojected surface 0 the brush the groove a nately changes from apath atright angle to the lon itudinal axis of the brush to a path extending atan angle other than right an ar. 4

t is not essential that the groove portions 16" extend at a true rightangle to the lpore or helical pitch of the rtions 16 be fierent fromthose of portions 16".

As will be understood from'knowledge 'o'f other machines fruit ma reposebetween the two rollers and as the re ers are revolved coordinately thefruit will be advanced through the conveying runwa formed by the two'brudies. To bring the rushes into close mesh andto 'of :1 h f th d1integrooveo ecorres n'ng 1111, this being common practiige for the fruitthe portions roperly conve B et ate the grooves is disrush intermbrushes having true helical grooves.

Considering the operation of a machine embodying my improved brushes asthe fruit advances its rate of advance changes by reason of the changinghelical itch of the implerl'lfectly helical groove. us; while the t 1spartially reposing in a portion'16' of a groove it will be advancing ata'given rate but when it is partiall reposing in a portion 16' of agroove there i; la s advance impetus convolutcly about said brushsurface generally helical path; a terimparted to it. Thus its'rate ofmotion is continually being alternately accelerated and impeded and itis constantly being acted u on by forces applied at difiering angles. 0'

result is that the fruit is constantly being Fup-ended so that itchanges from one axis of rotation to another axis of rotation to subjectall areas ofits spherical surface to the action of brush. More uniformbrush action is thereby assured while the fruit has a tenangles toconstantly turn.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my inventionand have shown a specific form of brush a plied to a specificallydescribed machine I 0 not limit myself to any given machine to claimthat any machine embod my 1mproved brush or brushes will come within thescope of my invention, and the brushw as set forth in the appendedclaims may be applied to any machine whatsoever without enlarging thesco of my invention as set forth in the ap ed claims. I

aving described a practical embodiment of my invention, that which Iclaim as new and patentable is:

1. As an article of manufacture a substan- I tially cylindrical brushhaving its brushing surface provided with a groove extendingrogressiv'ely in a nate extents of said groove following a given helicalpitch and other extents of sa1d groove following a th having a pitchother than the pitch of e first named extents. j Y

2. As an article of manufacture, a substantlluulg cylindrical revolublebrush having its b ing surface rovided with a groove following a genetents of said groove following a ath helical to the axis of rotation ofthe brus and intermediate short extents of said groove following a pathnormally circumferential to "said axis 0 rotation.

3. In a machine of the class described a pair of revoluble brushesaxially parallel to each other and for a fruit conveying trough, eachbrush having its brushing sur-' face provided with a groove extendingcony helical path; short ex-' but desire ve following a givenhelisurface of one brush intermediate its groove extended into thegroove of the other brush.

4. In a machine of the class described a pair of revoluble brushesaxially parallel to 5 each other and forming a fruit conveying v trough,each brush having its brushing surface provided with a groove followinga Y generally helical path; short extents of said tation; the brushsurface of one brush intermediate its groove extended into the grooveofthe other brush. 7

LLOYD E. JONES.

